The granddaughter of an early polar explorer has attended a ceremony to mark the launch of the first Antarctic coin. The coin has been created by the Pobjoy Mint in Kingswood, Surrey, to commemorate the centenary of the Granting of Letters Patent in 1908 when the UK first claimed the British Antarctic Territory.

The striking ceremony was attended by Philippa Foster Back, chairwoman of the United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust, whose grandfather Frank Debenham accompanied Robert Falcon Scott’s Antarctic Terra Nova Expedition to the South Pole from 1910 to 1913.

The £2 coin, which has been issued on behalf of the British Antarctic Territory, features the territory’s coat of arms which includes a lion standing on grass to represent the UK and an emperor penguin standing on ice to represent the native wildlife of Antarctica.

It is the first ever legal tender commemorative coin issued by the British Antarctic Territory, making it the world’s first Antarctic coin.

The British Antarctic Territory is situated in Antarctica and lies south of latitude 60°S and between longitudes 20° and 80°W. The Territory comprises the Antarctic Peninsula with all adjacent islands, the South Orkney and South Shetland Islands and the Weddell Sea, as well as the landmass extending to the South Pole.

After the discovery of the South Shetland Islands in 1819 by Captain W. Smith, Antarctic explorers followed in quick succession with Edward Bransfield discovering the Antarctic Peninsula in 1820 and Captain G. Powell taking possession of the South Orkney Islands in 1821. It was not until 1908 however that Britain registered its first claim to the Antarctic Territory by Letters Patent – a legal document granted by the Monarch declaring sovereignty over the Territory that is today the British Antarctic Territory. The Territory was governed as three separate dependencies; Graham Land, the South Orkneys and the South Shetlands – administered from Stanley by the Governor of the Falkland Islands.

A sterling silver version of the coin costs £38.26, while one in nickel costs £8.47 both available directly from the Pobjoy Mint Ltd